Video: Christian spirituality is joyous not dour, sullen, melanchonic, grumpy, depressed

This is the reason why I like certain blogs like the Crescat.  She does not take herself too seriously and even blogs openly about her foibles and dating disasters.  While other women would be mortified, she shares these without any regard for human respect.  Humility is truth as St. Theresa of Avila defines it.  And the Lord God looks upon the lowliness of His servant - as our Lady proclaims in her Magnificat.  Because of this, I think she is much closer to the Lord than any perfect lady. 

If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/10/video-christian-spirituality-is-joyous.html



by Fr. James Martin, SJ

The video features:
the barber who gave free haircuts to a  Franciscan, Trappist & Jesuit,
how the Lord used a laugh-out funny technique to teach,
Card. O'Connor's memory aids for a shocking fact,
St. Theresa Avila's admission that, "she's more afraid of one unhappy nun than a crowd of evil spirits."
a humorous situation from the late Pope John XXIII who at a dinner had a guest whose dress exposed a great deal of cleavage.

Oct. updates re: the most ethical Congress ever

When Pelosi said ethical, did she relate the word to moral behavior or was she thinking of a new nuance?

by Dana Summers

Was she referring to work ethic or something else?

by Glenn McCoy

Video: (T - 26 days) Last chance to save America

If video fails, go to http://divine-ripples.blogspot.com/2010/10/video-t-26-days-last-chance-to-save.html



Among others, listen to Obama's admission, "That's gonna increase our costs. We knew that. We didn't think we were gonna cover 30 million people for free."


H/T to Pundette

Think of this and you'll live fully.

Saint Jerome by Van Cleve ( H/T Crescat)

(The ribbons are grandpa's.)

I can't get a skull from the unclaimed bodies at the morgue so,  I bought myself an urn.  I look at it every morning to remind myself that the cold box cannot hug my children.  It cannot say to them, "How proud you made me feel."  The box cannot put clothes in the washer to give my wife a hand or give her a little slap at the fanny to let her know how sexy she is to me.  The box cannot wash the poop from my toddler and tell her to use the potty nor can it protect the kids while they build a leaf pile at the front yard.  That box cannot push my seven year old girl at the swing or talk about the greatness of serving God in the priesthood or religious life.  That box cannot have a drink with a friend whose wife is divorcing him nor can it blog about the deceptions in Obamacare.  That box cannot go to a 7 am Mass and thank God for all His graces nor can it fast for past sins.  At death, life continues for it is changed and not ended.  But for me, I shall still grieve because I can no longer love the way I can while I had a body.

Oh yes, the title.  The saints used to say, "Think of death and you will never sin."  I say, "Think of death and you will live fully."

The parable of the stuck CD drive and infected computer

There are 2 problems.  First, the system got corrupted that it needs to boot using the backup disks and to have a file recopied from there.  Second, the CD drive is stuck. 

Some CD drives have a hole where you can stick a paper clip tip to push the drive open.  You can go to Youtube and see videos about that approach.  I had one that did not have a hole.  So after a short prayer,  I attached an external CD drive, booted (started)  and recovered from there.  (You won't find that at YouTube;  I got that with a little prayer and insight.  So, you saw it first here.)

Moral:

Since this is a religious blog, let me use this to talk about Christian life.  The corrupted files are our human frailties that have been overrun and controlled by sin.  It can manifest itself in destructive behaviors e.g. addictions or habitual sins.  The backup disk with the original files is God's grace that contains our chance to be made fixed i.e. freed from addictions and bad habits.  The locked CD ROM drive can be our attitudes e.g. It's too late for me.  I can never be forgiven.  It won't work.  I'll fall back into sin.  It can be denial i.e. "Problem?  I don't have a problem." or false pride.  So, it comes down to one's choice to wallow in sin or to rise up and walk.  Just like the joke, how many priests does it take to change a light bulb.  One but, the light bulb must really want to change.

The external drive are others who help us through their prayers and counsel.  Somehow, some people wake up one day and say, "I tired of this life;  I'm going to change."  That did not come out of the blue but from some grandmother praying the Rosary every night or some nun behind the cloister wall - just like St. Therese of the Child Jesus who prayed for the murderer who was about to be executed.  The man repented at the last minute - just in time to receive God's forgiveness before he died.

This weekend at MD, boy scouts discover that the bogey man is real. (Possible sex predator tried to pick up scouts.)

My 10 year old son went to a canoeing event with his troop this past weekend.  Here is the report of an incident that happened then.

"All seven adults and fourteen scouts on the campout came back safely and I believe had a pretty good time even though our canoeing was more limited than we were hoping for. I am writing to let you know about a more serious incident that occurred on Saturday evening. At about 6PM two of our scouts ... notified their patrol leaders where they were going and then went to the store near the campsite. As they were walking away from the store together a black truck with a canoe on top blocked their path and the occupants, two mature adult males, suggested that the boys come ride in the truck. There was more conversation exchanged but in the end result was the boys said no and left but the truck followed them for some distance in a manner that alarmed the boys so they ran away from the road and back to the campsite. 911 was called and state police sent out the park police who took the boys statements and left to look for the truck. The SPL gathered the boys and the troop discussed the incident with the boys and re-stressed how important the buddy system is. After some time the Park Police came back to let us know that they spoke to the store keeper and had visited all the campsites that were nearby but that they believed the truck had left the area. The boys tents were moved into the middle of the campsite with the adult tents on the outside and all the boys who wanted more tentmates got them. In the morning, the leaders adopted a new safety rule and instructed the boys that in addition to the buddy system, when we are near more public areas the scouts will always insure both the scout leaders and the adult leaders know where they are going and when they will return. Also, the buddy system and any known cautions that would help the boys keep themselves safe will be discussed before every trip/campout as a reminder."

The good thing about scouts is that the boys themselves are taught to be careful and to recognize abusive behavior - sexual & otherwise.  I had to read a chapter about this from their manual and was required to explain it to my son.  This incident can confirm all those warnings and make sink deeper.  In a way, it has that salutary value i.e. the bogey man is real.

Faith & freedom: for posterity.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  What I fight for is faith and freedom that this great country has provided so far.  I seek it for my children and their children - and for all God loving people everywhere who yearn to be free.  For only in freedom, can one truly love and serve God.  Coercion that comes from other religions makes fearful slaves, not loving children of God.